ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — “It’s family,” Su’a Cravens said after Monday’s training camp practice, the third of his Broncos career. “It’s a whole-family vibe. It’s a no-judgement, everybody-is-just-here-to-get-better, the-main-goal-is-to-win, nothing-else-matters type of atmosphere. I think that’s what you need if you want to win a Super Bowl.”
After missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since Josh McDaniels left town, the Broncos needed a change in the atmosphere. By all accounts, that’s exactly what’s happened at UCHealth Training Center this offseason.
After Monday’s practice, Todd Davis told reporters that the difference between the attitude in this year’s squad and last year’s was so stark that Vance Joseph actually played video of practice from last year to show the team how far they’ve come.
“We look like two totally different teams,” Davis said. “We’re faster. We’re more efficient. We’re more tenacious. I think the way we prepare is going to show a lot in the way we play games.”
A change in culture starts at the top. Vance Joseph admits that he could have handled a few situations differently last year but is adamant when he says he learned some things that can help the team avoid the trap they fell into last season.
This training camp, the Broncos are practicing differently than they did last year. Rather than trying to develop a practice routine this season, Vance Joseph has opted for a more varied approach.
“You want these guys to stay engaged,” he said on Sunday. “That’s my job; to keep changing practice and changing the pace to keep guys kind of surprised on a daily basis. If guys are bored, it’s my fault, so I’m going to keep it moving so we can keep the pace and keep the focus with our football team.”
Emmanuel Sanders backed up his coach’s comments, saying that “engagement is everything.” He also preached the importance of accountability.
“Just speaking the truth out on the football field,” Sanders added on Sunday. “If you messed up, say it. If a guy makes a good play, uplift him. That’s what we’re about, and that’s the goal. We’re just working our butts off and trying to see what we can accomplish.”
The Broncos’ 2018 training camp is chockfull of competition. Starting spots are still available along the offensive and defensive lines, at slot receiver, tight end, and in the secondary. Backup roles are available at almost every position.
While battles for starting jobs and roster spots are common in every NFL training camp, Derek Wolfe says that this year they’ve been taken to a new level in Denver.
“The competition is so much greater than I’ve seen in the past few years between everybody, every position,” he said. “Everybody is trying to get better and make each other better. If you do beat somebody in a one-on-one or something, they’ll come back, and they’ll coach them up on what they did and what I saw to make me win, what you need to do to make sure I don’t work that move again. It’s creating great competition while helping each other get better at the same time.”
Wolfe’s defensive line was one of the best in the league against the run last year. They allowed the fewest yards per carry and the lowest percentage of running plays that went for first downs in the league in 2017.
Domata Peko believes that the group can take another step forward this season, now that they have some real competition to work against in training camp.
“I’m able to see [Matt] Paradis out there because last year he didn’t do much, he was coming off of that injury,” he said on Monday. “It’s good going against someone of that caliber. It really sharpens me up. Every day, I know I’ve got to bring my lunch pail and my hard hat to come to work against him.”
The Broncos think they’ve pulled themselves back together from the depths of last season. They aren’t getting any love from national pundits, but they believe they have the pieces they need to regain their form.
Davis says that, if anything, the hate has only encouraged the team to work harder.
“We like when people overlook us,” he said on Monday. “If you want to not see us coming that’s on you, but when we come we’re going to bring that heat, so be ready for it. We’re excited. We love when people make us the underdogs. We’re focused, we’re working hard, and we’re getting ready for this season.”
Through three practices, the Broncos have shown that they have the talent to snap their two-season streak of missing the playoffs. What’s to be seen is if they have the ability to fight through the adversity that they’ll face over the next five months.
After Sunday’s practice, Wolfe summed it up perfectly.
“To me, if we just don’t beat ourselves will be fine,” he said. “This team can be as good as we want to be. It’s up to us. It’s nobody else’s fault if we lose.”
